Make Your Excuse, Your Reason

“The thing is, I don’t have time.”

“If you want to get better,” she said, “make time.”

Writing has always been my weakest medium. In fact, my best friend once said the #1 job I’d be least qualified for was being an English teacher.

So I hired a copywriting coach.

As my mentor often reminded me, “Copywriting is one of the two highest-paid skills. It’s that and leadership. Learn them.”

Why? Because copy is everywhere—in ads, landing pages, and sales letters. If you can write words that move people to buy, you’ll never go hungry.

So here is what I was told to follow:

1. Read the classics. Start with Eugene Schwartz, David Ogilvy, David Bly, Joe Sugarman, Gary Halbert, and Gary Bencivenga. These authors aren’t just skilled writers—they’re masters of persuasion.

2. Hand-copy direct response letters. Once a week is the minimum; five days a week is ideal. It may seem like a waste of time at first, but over weeks and months, you’ll see the subtle shifts in your writing voice, structure, and persuasion techniques.

3. Write every day. Even if it’s just a few paragraphs or a single email, the act of writing daily builds the muscle that lets you deliver clear, compelling messages.

Initially, I thought there was no way to fit it all in. But three simple changes made it possible:

1. Carrying a book everywhere. I mean everywhere —to the bathroom, when picking up my kid, while walking the dog. You’d be amazed how much you can read at a crosswalk.

2. Adjusting my schedule. I started waking up 15 minutes earlier and going to bed 15 minutes later. Those small adjustments gave me the time I needed to hand-copy sales letters.

3. Removing distractions. I deleted every game, social, and unnecessary app from my home screen. The only app left was Notes. With no distractions, I used every spare moment to write.

I never sacrificed time with family, work, or the gym—but it did mean I was ruthless with anything that was not moving me toward my goals.

As Ryan Holiday put it: “Reading is not just something you should do on vacation, or when you have free time. It should be, like all important things in your life, a daily practice.”

Make your excuse your reason.

Cheers,